Heatwave in France: 37 departments in red on Sunday, fires and excess mortality

France is experiencing an intense heatwave this weekend, the third in two months, with temperatures reaching 39 to 40°C in some areas. Thirty-seven departments will be placed on red alert on Sunday, compared to 24 on Saturday, while wildfires are multiplying across the country.

On Saturday, July 11, Météo-France placed 24 departments in west-central France under a red heatwave warning, affecting 22,2 million inhabitants according to an AFP calculation. The entire Paris region, Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, and the Centre-Val de Loire are among the most exposed areas. Fifty-nine other departments are under an orange warning, while the Southeast and Corsica remain relatively unaffected.

For Sunday, the number of departments under red alert rises to 37, an increase of 13. Yonne, Allier, Charente, and Dordogne are among those added to the list. Météo-France reports "a mass of very hot air that will linger over the country for several days, particularly from the Centre-West to the Centre-East, including the Île-de-France region, generating a prolonged, intense, and widespread heatwave." This intense heat is expected to persist until the middle of next week.

On Saturday, temperatures were expected to reach 36°C in Paris and Rennes, 38°C in Bordeaux, 37°C in Toulouse, and 35°C in Rouen. Peaks of 39°C, and even 40°C locally, were forecast.

Fires are the other major challenge of this heatwave. More than 25,000 hectares have burned since the beginning of the year, almost double the amount recorded at the same time in 2025, according to the Civil Security service. Emmanuel Macron He reminded viewers that "nine out of ten fires are caused by human activity," calling for vigilance. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned that the authorities would "let nothing slide" and noted that 32 people had been taken into custody since the beginning of the summer.

Fires have been reported in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Drôme, and Indre departments, where 900 hectares have burned, and in Loire-Atlantique, where 220 people had to be evacuated from a campsite and homes in La Plaine-sur-Mer. In Savoie, two villages are isolated after a 60-hectare fire, which is now "stabilized" according to the prefecture, but several days of work are still needed to secure the access road.

The heatwave is also causing a rise in drownings, estimated by the government to be 20% higher than last year: 131 people have drowned since June 19, including minors and people over 60. Excess mortality has already been recorded, particularly affecting people over 75. The government is facing criticism for its lack of preparedness in the face of the extreme heat.

The Bugey nuclear power plant in the Ain department has been granted an environmental exemption regarding the temperature of its water discharges, according to a decision by the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority published in the Official Journal. In southwestern France, 20,000 homes were without power on Saturday morning.

The disruptions are also affecting transportation and cultural life. SNCF is canceling one out of every three Intercités trains during the hottest hours, with replacement bus services available. On the roads, 900 km of traffic jams were recorded at midday. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Musée d'Orsay have moved their closing time to 4 p.m. The police prefect has canceled the firemen's balls scheduled for July 13th and 14th, as well as outdoor sporting events. Many towns and cities have also cancelled their Bastille Day fireworks displays.